A second of three men badly beaten during assaults at Veterans Park last summer has died. In court Thursday, prosecutors said the death could reshape the charges against Robert Salt.
Anthony Hill, 56, died Sunday, according to medical examiner records in Maricopa County, Arizona. The cause and manner of death are pending.
Curtis Benally, 40, died soon after the incidents from blunt-force trauma on Aug. 20, 2025. A third man, Bilbert Tsosie, 61, was seriously injured and remains alive, according to court records.
Prosecutors allege Salt carried out a series of brutal, escalating assaults at the public park, leaving first responders to discover a bloody scene and the three men found unconscious: Benally, Tsosie and Hill.
Testimony from a prior hearing described Salt stomping and standing on victims’ heads in a manner the state argues showed “extreme indifference” to human life. Salt is charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and first- and second-degree assault, along with habitual criminal counts. A detective testified that 20-year-old Nykhona Holiday was present throughout the assaults and admitted participating.
According to testimony, Holiday told investigators Salt initiated the beatings and threatened her life if she did not participate. Other witnesses recounted him saying, “this is what we do.”
Salt appeared Thursday afternoon in Montezuma County Combined Courts for an arraignment hearing. His public defender, Benjamin Krumpelman, requested a delay, citing Hill’s recent death and the likelihood prosecutors will amend the nine charges.
Deputy District Attorney Justin Pierce said the state is “trending” toward filing another complaint with new charges and is waiting for additional findings from the death report.
“The biggest problem – we don’t have a definitive answer … before we amend the complaint,” Pierce said.
Before Hill’s death, prosecutors said Salt was offered a plea deal of second-degree murder with a 45-year prison sentence, which Salt and his attorneys did not accept earlier this year. Plea negotiations between Holiday’s attorney and prosecutors are ongoing, according to her March 12 hearing.
Pierce suggested setting a trial date could help move along pending DNA analysis through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, which has a backlog of cases. District Court Judge William Furse declined, citing the likelihood of amended charges.
At the defense’s request, the court read Salt’s nine counts aloud.
“Do you understand the advisement I have given you? I understand it is a lot of aggravated counts,” Furse asked.
Through his attorney, Salt said he understood and had no questions.
Montezuma County Coroner George Deavers said autopsies are conducted outside the state’s jurisdiction when a person dies across state lines while receiving medical care.
Prosecutors said they have spoken with Hill’s family, who understood the delay. Thursday’s courtroom was full of observers.
Salt’s plea hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. May 5.
awatson@the‑journal.com
